The Honolulu Rail Transit Project was slated to cost $5.2 billion. That figure has doubled as construction progresses, leaving the city scrambling for funds amid public outcry.
There's a lot of trouble afoot for Honolulu's attempt at traffic-easing transit. Brittany Lyte writes, "In a bid to unsnarl its highways a bit in 2011, the city embarked on a $5.2 billion Honolulu Rail Transit Project. At the time, the planned 20-mile elevated electric train line was expected to ease traffic congestion on Hawaii's most densely populated island by 18 percent, with the first trips planned for 2017."
Six years on, costs have ballooned to $10 billion and rising. "Per capita, the Honolulu rail could become the most expensive transit project in U.S. history, according to the conservative public policy think tank Grassroot Institute of Hawaii."
Will the hugely expensive undertaking actually justify its costs? Estimates say no, predicting only a few percentage points of decreased traffic amid a net increase. Local politicians, including Democrats, are calling for a stop to the bleeding via the withdrawal of federal support, but others feel it's already too late.
Lyte points to transit projects in New Jersey and Maryland that were scuttled due to financial strain and legal challenges.
FULL STORY: Honolulu's Rapid Transit Crisis
Federal Subpoenas for Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation
Bad news for Honolulu's troubled rail transit project: new federal scrutiny and a potential criminal investigation.
Honolulu Rail Transit Makes Progress Despite Financial Woes
Honolulu Rail Transit, a 20-mile, elevated metro rail line, continues to suffer cost overruns and has lost popular support, according to a recent poll. But the tide could change with the arrival of the first rail cars.
Skyline Rail, Now Serving Honolulu
In a historic day for public transit, Skyline Rail, a project once deemed the worst transit project in the United States due to extreme cost overruns and construction delays, finally opened to the public at the end of June.
The Unceremonious Death of a Freeway Expansion Project
The end of an Oregon freeway project didn't get much fanfare, but the victory is worth celebrating.
Converting Golf Courses to Housing Never as Easy as the Market Would Like
Thousands of golf courses have closed in recent years, but the obvious redevelopment opportunity represented by many defunct courses isn’t always easy to realize.
Houston To End Bike Share Program
Lacking the funding it needs to continue, Houston’s BCycle bike share system will end operations in the coming months.
FTA Announces Tribal Transit Program Grants
The agency awarded close to $10 million to 22 communities around the country for transit improvements.
Making Colorado’s Front Range Rail a Reality
Local leaders are scrambling to bring together the funding and political support to create new intercity rail service in the fast-growing region.
How College Campuses Fulfill an Urbanist Dream
Most college campuses in the United States are inherently walkable, mixing various uses with diverse housing options and transit networks.
Caltrans
Caltrans
Knoxville-Knox County Planning
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington University
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
Lassen County Planning and Building Services
City of San Carlos
National Capital Planning Commission
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
